All of us need a little help in our careers. We need guidance. We need advice. We need support. Unfortunately, many of us don’t know how to help others help us. We often go about asking for help in odd ways or, even worse, ignoring or questioning the help we receive. Helping someone is a two way street and if you consistently go about it in the wrong way you will soon find yourself without anyone to help you at all.

]]>http://welchwrite.com/career/2018/02/12/helping-others-help-you-from-the-career-opportunities-podcast-audio/feed/0Helping others help you from the Career Opportunities Podcast Listen to this podcast All of us need a little help in our careers. We need guidance. We need advice. We need support. Unfortunately, many of us don’t know how to help others help us.Helping others help you from the Career Opportunities Podcast Listen to this podcast

All of us need a little help in our careers. We need guidance. We need advice. We need support. Unfortunately, many of us don’t know how to help others help us. We often go about asking for help in odd ways or, even worse, ignoring or questioning the help we receive. Helping someone is a two way street and if you consistently go about it in the wrong way you will soon find yourself without anyone to help you at all.

Build the Career You Deserve with these books
* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs ** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! ]]>Douglas E. WelchWhat I tell every new careerbuilder from the Career Opportunities Podcast [Audio]http://welchwrite.com/career/2018/02/05/what-i-tell-every-new-careerbuilder-from-the-career-opportunities-podcast-audio/
http://welchwrite.com/career/2018/02/05/what-i-tell-every-new-careerbuilder-from-the-career-opportunities-podcast-audio/#respondMon, 05 Feb 2018 21:03:57 +0000http://welchwrite.com/career/?p=5033

Many of the readers and listeners of Career Opportunities have been working for a long time. They have had several jobs and maybe even a few careers. It seems to take a few years before most people start to consider their work and how to build the career they deserve. That said, I am always excited when I meet someone at the beginning of their career that, for whatever reason, has the foresight to see that their career and their life are intimately intertwined. For these people, today’s column focuses on the things I would love to say to every person just starting out in their career. Take these lessons to heart and your career may become much easier.

]]>http://welchwrite.com/career/2018/02/05/what-i-tell-every-new-careerbuilder-from-the-career-opportunities-podcast-audio/feed/0What I tell every new careerbuilder from the Career Opportunities Podcast Listen to this podcast Many of the readers and listeners of Career Opportunities have been working for a long time. They have had several jobs and maybe even a few careers.What I tell every new careerbuilder from the Career Opportunities Podcast Listen to this podcast

Many of the readers and listeners of Career Opportunities have been working for a long time. They have had several jobs and maybe even a few careers. It seems to take a few years before most people start to consider their work and how to build the career they deserve. That said, I am always excited when I meet someone at the beginning of their career that, for whatever reason, has the foresight to see that their career and their life are intimately intertwined. For these people, today’s column focuses on the things I would love to say to every person just starting out in their career. Take these lessons to heart and your career may become much easier.

Build the Career You Deserve with these books
* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs ** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! ]]>Douglas E. WelchTake responsibility for your own education from the Career Opportunities Podcast [Audio]http://welchwrite.com/career/2018/01/29/take-responsibility-for-your-own-education-from-the-career-opportunities-podcast-audio/
Mon, 29 Jan 2018 18:07:54 +0000http://welchwrite.com/career/?p=5030

I have been advising you to take control of your career for over 12 years here on Career Opportunities. I continue to believe that it is of the utmost importance that you manage your career instead of letting it manage you. Today, I am extending that advice beyond your work and your career. Starting today you must also take direct responsibility for your own education.

Through budget cuts and legislation, our American system of higher education is being priced beyond reach or destroyed entirely. While I will rue the day it occurs, there may come a time when many of you, or more likely, your children, will find it difficult, if not impossible, to gain a college degree. In such a world, you may need to look to other, perhaps older, methods to gain the education you need to succeed.

]]>Take responsibility for your own education from the Career Opportunities Podcast Listen to this podcast I have been advising you to take control of your career for over 12 years here on Career Opportunities.Take responsibility for your own education from the Career Opportunities Podcast Listen to this podcast

I have been advising you to take control of your career for over 12 years here on Career Opportunities. I continue to believe that it is of the utmost importance that you manage your career instead of letting it manage you. Today, I am extending that advice beyond your work and your career. Starting today you must also take direct responsibility for your own education.
Through budget cuts and legislation, our American system of higher education is being priced beyond reach or destroyed entirely. While I will rue the day it occurs, there may come a time when many of you, or more likely, your children, will find it difficult, if not impossible, to gain a college degree. In such a world, you may need to look to other, perhaps older, methods to gain the education you need to succeed.

Build the Career You Deserve with these books
* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs ** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! ]]>Douglas E. WelchAre you learning with every project, task, opportunity? Are you “Hitting the Bullseye”? from the Career Opportunities Podcast [Audio]http://welchwrite.com/career/2018/01/22/are-you-learning-with-every-project-task-opportunity-are-you-hitting-the-bullseye-from-the-career-opportunities-podcast-audio/
Mon, 22 Jan 2018 18:20:57 +0000http://welchwrite.com/career/?p=5027

Over the last several months my son and I have been increasingly active in archery at our local range with our local SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) group. We enjoy being outdoors and the camaraderie of archery, as well as challenging ourselves to improve our skills over time. During our hours at the range, comparisons between archery and your career have been coming to mind quite a bit. There is one analogy that I haven’t been able to shake so I felt it deserved presenting here.

When you are on the archery range your goal is typically to become better and better at your aim. The archery target presents a clear goal and clear feedback after each shot. If only our career was so forthcoming with feedback. Archery is a challenge of constant correction and adaptation. If you want to improve, you carefully evaluate each shot, what you did, and the results it produced. After some time you will find that your muscle memory will begin to kick in and it becomes easier and easier to hit the bulls eye consistently.

]]>Are you learning with every project, task, opportunity? Are you “Hitting the Bullseye”? from the Career Opportunities Podcast Listen to this podcast Over the last several months my son and I have been increasingly active in archery at our local range w...Are you learning with every project, task, opportunity? Are you “Hitting the Bullseye”? from the Career Opportunities Podcast Listen to this podcast

Over the last several months my son and I have been increasingly active in archery at our local range with our local SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) group. We enjoy being outdoors and the camaraderie of archery, as well as challenging ourselves to improve our skills over time. During our hours at the range, comparisons between archery and your career have been coming to mind quite a bit. There is one analogy that I haven’t been able to shake so I felt it deserved presenting here.
When you are on the archery range your goal is typically to become better and better at your aim. The archery target presents a clear goal and clear feedback after each shot. If only our career was so forthcoming with feedback. Archery is a challenge of constant correction and adaptation. If you want to improve, you carefully evaluate each shot, what you did, and the results it produced. After some time you will find that your muscle memory will begin to kick in and it becomes easier and easier to hit the bulls eye consistently.

Build the Career You Deserve with these books
* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs ** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! ]]>Douglas E. WelchMost Viewed Pages on Career Opportunities for 2017http://welchwrite.com/career/2018/01/21/most-viewed-pages-for-2017/
Sun, 21 Jan 2018 21:40:59 +0000http://welchwrite.com/career/?p=5025

]]>Your career is about YOU! from the Career Opportunities Podcast [Audio]http://welchwrite.com/career/2018/01/15/your-career-is-about-you-from-the-career-opportunities-podcast-audio/
Mon, 15 Jan 2018 18:53:48 +0000http://welchwrite.com/career/?p=5022

You may have noticed over the years that I don’t write about typical career-related topics here on Career Opportunities. Where other columns might focus on resumes or interview skills, I prefer to talk about how your career relates to you, your needs and your goals. Too often I think we forget the a career is a very personal thing. It isn’t some academic process that happens to someone else. It happens to you. You have to live with your career, day after day, so shouldn’t you be building the career you deserve?

When we talk about careers we tend to focus on the external factors. How can I perfectly answer that tough interview question? How can I mold myself into someone this company will want to hire? How will our boss feel about this action? Will the company have issues with that? To my eye, we spend entirely too much time trying to satisfy external forces and factors and too little looking out for ourselves. The true success of your career is how much you gain from it, not how much others gain from you. Sure there should be a balance, but in most career situations we err on the side of pleasing our employer instead of pleasing ourselves.

]]>Your career is about YOU! from the Career Opportunities Podcast Listen to this podcast You may have noticed over the years that I don’t write about typical career-related topics here on Career Opportunities.Your career is about YOU! from the Career Opportunities Podcast Listen to this podcast

You may have noticed over the years that I don’t write about typical career-related topics here on Career Opportunities. Where other columns might focus on resumes or interview skills, I prefer to talk about how your career relates to you, your needs and your goals. Too often I think we forget the a career is a very personal thing. It isn’t some academic process that happens to someone else. It happens to you. You have to live with your career, day after day, so shouldn’t you be building the career you deserve?
When we talk about careers we tend to focus on the external factors. How can I perfectly answer that tough interview question? How can I mold myself into someone this company will want to hire? How will our boss feel about this action? Will the company have issues with that? To my eye, we spend entirely too much time trying to satisfy external forces and factors and too little looking out for ourselves. The true success of your career is how much you gain from it, not how much others gain from you. Sure there should be a balance, but in most career situations we err on the side of pleasing our employer instead of pleasing ourselves.Read this entire article – Your career is about YOU! from the Career Opportunities Podcast

Build the Career You Deserve with these books
* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs ** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! ]]>Douglas E. WelchIdea Generation Tools from Starters Codehttp://welchwrite.com/career/2018/01/09/idea-generation-tools-from-starters-code/
Tue, 09 Jan 2018 23:16:44 +0000http://welchwrite.com/career/?p=5019

There is no, one, creativity tool that works for every situation, place or time so it is useful to have a few sites, apps, and books that you can turn to when you need to create and capture your great ideas. This article provides a number of ways to keep your creativity flowing and also turn these ideas into something big! — Douglas

Ideation is the creative process of generating, developing, and communicating new ideas, where an idea is understood as a basic element of thought that can be either visual, concrete, or abstract. Ideation comprises all stages of a thought cycle, from innovation, to development, to actualization.

These tools will help you capture you thought better, Organize your brainstorming into successful sections.

]]>Production, Promotion and Being Proactive in your Career from the Career Opportunities Podcast [Audio/Video]http://welchwrite.com/career/2018/01/08/production-promotion-and-being-proactive-in-your-career-from-the-career-opportunities-podcast-audio-video/
Mon, 08 Jan 2018 18:16:03 +0000http://welchwrite.com/career/?p=5015

]]>Production, Promotion and Being Proactive in your Career from the Career Opportunities Podcast A live recording of my presentation, “Production, Promotion and being Proactive in your Career”, at Tuesdays with Transitioners on February 15, 2011.Production, Promotion and Being Proactive in your Career from the Career Opportunities Podcast
A live recording of my presentation, “Production, Promotion and being Proactive in your Career”, at Tuesdays with Transitioners on February 15, 2011. (1 hour, 23 minutes)Listen to this podcast

Build the Career You Deserve with these books
* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs ** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! ]]>Douglas E. WelchThe Care And Feeding of Your Career from the Career Opportunities Podcast [Audio]http://welchwrite.com/career/2018/01/01/the-care-and-feeding-of-your-career-from-the-career-opportunities-podcast-audio/
Mon, 01 Jan 2018 22:52:14 +0000http://welchwrite.com/career/?p=5012

Your career isn’t just something you set on autopilot and forget. Sure, you might be engaged in a great job at the moment and enjoying your work, but even then you need to be constantly monitoring and adjusting your career. Times change and along with them the economy, the stability of your company and your own wants, needs and desires. Be happy, sure, but don’t let it lull you into a false sense of security. You need to keep building your career, even when you seem on the right path.

]]>The Care And Feeding of Your Career from the Career Opportunities Podcast Listen to this podcast Your career isn’t just something you set on autopilot and forget. Sure, you might be engaged in a great job at the moment and enjoying your work,The Care And Feeding of Your Career from the Career Opportunities Podcast Listen to this podcast

Your career isn’t just something you set on autopilot and forget. Sure, you might be engaged in a great job at the moment and enjoying your work, but even then you need to be constantly monitoring and adjusting your career. Times change and along with them the economy, the stability of your company and your own wants, needs and desires. Be happy, sure, but don’t let it lull you into a false sense of security. You need to keep building your career, even when you seem on the right path.Read this entire article – The Care And Feeding of Your Career from the Career Opportunities Podcast

Build the Career You Deserve with these books
* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs ** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! ]]>Douglas E. WelchThe Art of Communication and Your Career from the Career Opportunities Podcast [Audio]http://welchwrite.com/career/2017/12/25/the-art-of-communication-and-your-career-from-the-career-opportunities-podcast-audio/
Mon, 25 Dec 2017 22:29:35 +0000http://welchwrite.com/career/?p=5010

Communicating well with those around you may be one of the most important parts of any career. Whether you are communicating with your family, your co-workers, your managers or the world, whenever you fail to communicate effectively, the consequences are swift and painful. If you are having issues in your career, take some time to think about how you are communicating. I can guarantee you will find something lacking in your approach that might have prevented a lot of workplace angst.

I was reminded about the importance of communication through a recent event in my own life. It involved a school announcement that the archdiocese (my son attends Catholic grade school) would be adding 20 days to school year, starting with the Fall 2011 calendar. While I personally had no real issues with this, the outcry from other parents was swift and loud. There were a variety of arguments against adding these days, but I believe at the heart of the argument was the presentation of this new policy as a fait accompli (a thing accomplished and presumably irreversible, Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary).

]]>The Art of Communication and Your Career from the Career Opportunities Podcast Listen to this podcast Communicating well with those around you may be one of the most important parts of any career. Whether you are communicating with your family,The Art of Communication and Your Career from the Career Opportunities Podcast Listen to this podcast

Communicating well with those around you may be one of the most important parts of any career. Whether you are communicating with your family, your co-workers, your managers or the world, whenever you fail to communicate effectively, the consequences are swift and painful. If you are having issues in your career, take some time to think about how you are communicating. I can guarantee you will find something lacking in your approach that might have prevented a lot of workplace angst.
I was reminded about the importance of communication through a recent event in my own life. It involved a school announcement that the archdiocese (my son attends Catholic grade school) would be adding 20 days to school year, starting with the Fall 2011 calendar. While I personally had no real issues with this, the outcry from other parents was swift and loud. There were a variety of arguments against adding these days, but I believe at the heart of the argument was the presentation of this new policy as a fait accompli (a thing accomplished and presumably irreversible, Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary).Read this entire article – The Art of Communication and Your Career from the Career Opportunities Podcast

Build the Career You Deserve with these books
* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs ** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! ]]>Douglas E. Welch(Re)Reading – Steal like an artist 10 things nobody told you about being creative by Austin Kleon – 1 in a serieshttp://welchwrite.com/career/2017/12/25/rereading-steal-like-an-artist-10-things-nobody-told-you-about-being-creative-by-austin-kleon-1-in-a-series/
Mon, 25 Dec 2017 21:44:56 +0000http://welchwrite.com/career/?p=5008

I’ll be highlighting books that I am reading (or re-reading) on all sorts of topics this year. Today we start with this book on creativity, work, the nature of art and more. Even on re-reading, it never fails to generate new thoughts and new ideas.

You don’t need to be a genius, you just need to be yourself. That’s the message from Austin Kleon, a young writer and artist who knows that creativity is everywhere, creativity is for everyone. A manifesto for the digital age, Steal Like an Artist is a guide whose positive message, graphic look and illustrations, exercises, and examples will put readers directly in touch with their artistic side. — Amazon

* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs ** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! 37 Copies/12 eBooks Available from the LA Public Library

]]>Commit to noticing and remembering more of each days progress from the Career Opportunities Podcasthttp://welchwrite.com/career/2017/12/18/commit-to-noticing-and-remembering-more-of-each-days-progress-from-the-career-opportunities-podcast/
Mon, 18 Dec 2017 17:00:12 +0000http://welchwrite.com/career/?p=5004

Ask anyone you know and I am sure you will hear the same thing, “What day is it? How did it get to be 2011 already? The year is moving so fast!” It seems a simple truth that the older you get the faster the days, months and years seem to pass. We go to sleep in one month and wake up in another, not really recalling what happened in between. This year, though, I am going to try and pay more attention to the passing of time and the things I accomplish along the way. Call it mindfullness. Call it paying attention. Call it “Getting Things Done.” No matter what you call it, let’s commit to noticing and remembering more of each days progress.

Looking at the calendar I see that this is the 14th day and 2nd week of the new year. Both weeks have been very busy for me, but looking back over my calendar (a shared Google Calendar, in my case) I see that I had 11 client calls and 2 user group meetings and 1 night of archery practice with my son. We usually think of calendars as forward-looking devices, but they can be just as useful as a tool to remind us of everything we have accomplished. I even have a service that adds my Twitter messages to my calendar so I can see what I was talking about last week or last month.

]]>Commit to noticing and remembering more of each days progress from the Career Opportunities Podcast Listen to this podcast Ask anyone you know and I am sure you will hear the same thing, “What day is it? How did it get to be 2011 already?Commit to noticing and remembering more of each days progress from the Career Opportunities Podcast Listen to this podcast

Ask anyone you know and I am sure you will hear the same thing, “What day is it? How did it get to be 2011 already? The year is moving so fast!” It seems a simple truth that the older you get the faster the days, months and years seem to pass. We go to sleep in one month and wake up in another, not really recalling what happened in between. This year, though, I am going to try and pay more attention to the passing of time and the things I accomplish along the way. Call it mindfullness. Call it paying attention. Call it “Getting Things Done.” No matter what you call it, let’s commit to noticing and remembering more of each days progress.
Looking at the calendar I see that this is the 14th day and 2nd week of the new year. Both weeks have been very busy for me, but looking back over my calendar (a shared Google Calendar, in my case) I see that I had 11 client calls and 2 user group meetings and 1 night of archery practice with my son. We usually think of calendars as forward-looking devices, but they can be just as useful as a tool to remind us of everything we have accomplished. I even have a service that adds my Twitter messages to my calendar so I can see what I was talking about last week or last month.Read this entire article – Commit to noticing and remembering more of each days progress from the Career Opportunities Podcast

Build the Career You Deserve with these books
* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs ** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! ]]>Douglas E. WelchDon’t make resolutions, make action items from the Career Opportunities Podcasthttp://welchwrite.com/career/2017/12/13/dont-make-resolutions-make-action-items-from-the-career-opportunities-podcast/
Wed, 13 Dec 2017 17:22:54 +0000http://welchwrite.com/career/?p=5002

I am writing on New Year’s Eve here in Los Angeles as celebrations of the New Year have already started in other, distant parts of the globe. We will be attending a party tonight to bring in 2011 ourselves, as will many others. One big topic of discussion at all these celebrations will be New Year’s Resolutions. The beginning of the calendar year is always a good time to reflect on the past year and plan for the next, but I want you to think about this new year in a new way. This New Year, instead of making resolutions, make action items. Instead of trying to make things happen, make them happen. To quote Yoda from the Star Wars movies, “Do, or do not. There is no try!”

The trouble with resolutions is they are a waffling way to approach change. There is already an assumed “try” in them and I think this is what allows us to abandon them so easily. There is also a bit too much thought and too little action involved in resolutions. We think and think on what we want to accomplish, but unless we take some direct action towards our goals they will always remain dreams.

]]>Don’t make resolutions, make action items from the Career Opportunities Podcast Listen to this podcast I am writing on New Year’s Eve here in Los Angeles as celebrations of the New Year have already started in other, distant parts of the globe.Don’t make resolutions, make action items from the Career Opportunities Podcast Listen to this podcast

I am writing on New Year’s Eve here in Los Angeles as celebrations of the New Year have already started in other, distant parts of the globe. We will be attending a party tonight to bring in 2011 ourselves, as will many others. One big topic of discussion at all these celebrations will be New Year’s Resolutions. The beginning of the calendar year is always a good time to reflect on the past year and plan for the next, but I want you to think about this new year in a new way. This New Year, instead of making resolutions, make action items. Instead of trying to make things happen, make them happen. To quote Yoda from the Star Wars movies, “Do, or do not. There is no try!”
The trouble with resolutions is they are a waffling way to approach change. There is already an assumed “try” in them and I think this is what allows us to abandon them so easily. There is also a bit too much thought and too little action involved in resolutions. We think and think on what we want to accomplish, but unless we take some direct action towards our goals they will always remain dreams.Read this entire article – Asking a lot of myself…and you, too from the Career Opportunities Podcast

Build the Career You Deserve with these books
* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs ** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! ]]>Douglas E. WelchDemand more from yourself and others from the Career Opportunities Podcast [Audio]http://welchwrite.com/career/2017/12/04/demand-more-from-yourself-and-others-from-the-career-opportunities-podcast-audio/
Mon, 04 Dec 2017 18:44:55 +0000http://welchwrite.com/career/?p=5000

After a busy few months, things have slowed down a bit here for the holidays. This has given me more time to reflect on the year and think about what I want to accomplish in 2011. After a bit of this thinking, I find that the watchword for the New Year is going to be “demanding.” It will be a demanding year, but that demand will not be entirely external. The fact is, I am going to be demanding a lot more of myself, too. Even more importantly, I am going to be a bit more demanding of you…at least as much as I can be at a distance.

]]>Asking a lot of myself…and you, too from the Career Opportunities Podcast Listen to this podcast After a busy few months, things have slowed down a bit here for the holidays. This has given me more time to reflect on the year and think about what I wan...Asking a lot of myself…and you, too from the Career Opportunities Podcast Listen to this podcast

After a busy few months, things have slowed down a bit here for the holidays. This has given me more time to reflect on the year and think about what I want to accomplish in 2011. After a bit of this thinking, I find that the watchword for the New Year is going to be “demanding.” It will be a demanding year, but that demand will not be entirely external. The fact is, I am going to be demanding a lot more of myself, too. Even more importantly, I am going to be a bit more demanding of you…at least as much as I can be at a distance.Read this entire article – Asking a lot of myself…and you, too from the Career Opportunities Podcast

Build the Career You Deserve with these books
* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs ** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! ]]>Douglas E. WelchAccepting Thanks and Communicating More Clearly from the Career Opportunities Podcast [Audio]http://welchwrite.com/career/2017/11/27/accepting-thanks-and-communicating-more-clearly-from-the-career-opportunities-podcast-audio/
Mon, 27 Nov 2017 20:28:47 +0000http://welchwrite.com/career/?p=4998

The Thanksgiving holiday here in the US always leads to people giving a tremendous outpouring of thanks for everything from years of service or marriage to something as simple as holding the door at the grocery store. While it is always worthwhile to be reminded of those things for which we are thankful, there is another side to the conversation. We need to think more deeply about the act of accepting thanks and how that simple act can also lead us into more effective communication.

First, when someone thanks you, what do you do? Do you say “No problem?” It is a very common response, but I don’t think it really communicates a proper reflection of thanks. No problem seems, to me, more of an acknowledgement that something has been said instead of accepting the thanks that were offered. “No problem” is similar to saying “It was nothing.” The fact is, your kindness was more than nothing and accepting thanks shows that you understand the transaction that just occurred. You didn’t have to go out of your way to hold the door, pickup the dropped item or help with something else. You went above and beyond the call of duty and someone appreciated that fact. Take the thanks that were offered and acknowledge that you heard the thanks. Make the communication complete. It leads to a better experience for everyone.

]]>Accepting Thanks and Communicating More Clearly from the Career Opportunities Podcast Listen to this podcast The Thanksgiving holiday here in the US always leads to people giving a tremendous outpouring of thanks for everything from years of servic...Accepting Thanks and Communicating More Clearly from the Career Opportunities Podcast Listen to this podcast

The Thanksgiving holiday here in the US always leads to people giving a tremendous outpouring of thanks for everything from years of service or marriage to something as simple as holding the door at the grocery store. While it is always worthwhile to be reminded of those things for which we are thankful, there is another side to the conversation. We need to think more deeply about the act of accepting thanks and how that simple act can also lead us into more effective communication.
First, when someone thanks you, what do you do? Do you say “No problem?” It is a very common response, but I don’t think it really communicates a proper reflection of thanks. No problem seems, to me, more of an acknowledgement that something has been said instead of accepting the thanks that were offered. “No problem” is similar to saying “It was nothing.” The fact is, your kindness was more than nothing and accepting thanks shows that you understand the transaction that just occurred. You didn’t have to go out of your way to hold the door, pickup the dropped item or help with something else. You went above and beyond the call of duty and someone appreciated that fact. Take the thanks that were offered and acknowledge that you heard the thanks. Make the communication complete. It leads to a better experience for everyone.Read this entire article – Accepting Thanks and Communicating More Clearly from the Career Opportunities Podcast

* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs ** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! ]]>Douglas E. WelchSometimes you just do the best that you can from the Career Opportunities Podcasthttp://welchwrite.com/career/2017/11/20/sometimes-you-just-do-the-best-that-you-can-from-the-career-opportunities-podcast/
Mon, 20 Nov 2017 20:52:02 +0000http://welchwrite.com/career/?p=4996

Sometimes you just do the best that you can. Most of us want to do more with our life, our work, heck, even our day, but sometimes you just can’t get it done. I am having one of those times right now. Everyone in the family seems busier than usual and it is leading to days where our only thought is sinking in to a comfy chair at night and turning off our minds. My wife has an amazingly busy scheduled teaching at 4 different colleges, my 7th Grade son is deep in his studies as well as flag football, chess and a host of other programs and I am taking on more of my “Stay at home Dad” role again as well as balancing that with my consulting and writing work. We all seem to be running in a hundred different directions at once.

]]>Sometimes you just do the best that you can from the Career Opportunities Podcast Listen to this podcast Sometimes you just do the best that you can. Most of us want to do more with our life, our work, heck, even our day,Sometimes you just do the best that you can from the Career Opportunities PodcastListen to this podcast

Sometimes you just do the best that you can. Most of us want to do more with our life, our work, heck, even our day, but sometimes you just can’t get it done. I am having one of those times right now. Everyone in the family seems busier than usual and it is leading to days where our only thought is sinking in to a comfy chair at night and turning off our minds. My wife has an amazingly busy scheduled teaching at 4 different colleges, my 7th Grade son is deep in his studies as well as flag football, chess and a host of other programs and I am taking on more of my “Stay at home Dad” role again as well as balancing that with my consulting and writing work. We all seem to be running in a hundred different directions at once.Read this entire article – Sometimes you just do the best that you can from the Career Opportunities Podcast

Build the Career You Deserve with these books
* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs ** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! ]]>Douglas E. Welch12 Show Your Work by Auston Leon | Douglas E. Welch Holiday Gift Guide 2017http://welchwrite.com/career/2017/11/17/12-show-your-work-by-auston-leon-douglas-e-welch-holiday-gift-guide-2017/
Fri, 17 Nov 2017 19:58:20 +0000http://welchwrite.com/career/?p=4994

My reading copy of this book came from the Los Angeles Public Library in eBook format

Reading Show Your Work was like listening to my own frequent talks on career topics. Much is exactly the same message I have preached to people for years. That is, the only way to get your work noticed is to share it as widely as possible. Music must be heard. Art must be seen. Writing must be read. Otherwise, it is a wasted effort. Share, Share, Share One message I share deeply with the author is the utmost importance of sharing your work via blogs and social media. As the author puts it, “It sounds a little extreme, but in this day and age, if your work isn’t online, it doesn’t exist.” If your work can’t be discovered, stumbled upon, ran into, seen in passing, found in a Google Search, etc, you are severely limiting the exposure and discovery of your work. I don’t frequently use the word “MUST”, but I will on this occasion. You MUST make your creativity discoverable, through social media or other methods, or it simply doesn’t exist. Of course, you can ignore this if you are only creating for yourself, but most who create want their work to be seen, to be cherished, to be sold, to be understood, to be an important impact on the world. Don’t let your work languish. As the Bible says, “Don’t hide your light under a bushel.”

I have read — and re-read — and would highly recommend you do the same. In fact, I am thinking that I will make it (and Pressfield’s earlier book, The War of Art) required reading before I will work with any client. Both books have helped me tremendously in my life and work. We all have to start somewhere on our creative adventures and Pressfield’s books are like an experienced guide that can help to lead us through the creative forest. Revisiting them on a regular basis reenergizes me to face the fight that all creatives feel.

Of course, creativity isn’t just the domain of some specialized class of people. We are all creative in unique ways and we all experience the haunting voice of resistance, as Pressfield names the monster that frightens all of us away from big, transformative changes in our lives. Pressfield reminds us of the nature of this beast and gives us the tools we need to defeat it — again and again.

In my work, I meet so many people who don’t realize their own potential. They drastically underestimate their power to change their lives and change the world. They face the resistance dragon and allow it to eat them nearly every time instead of emerging, triumphant, like St. George. It is often my goal to give them the tools — the horse, the lance, the sword — to help them slay the dragon of resistance just as I have to fight against it everyday. Sometimes I can bring them along with me — at other times, not, but I will never stop trying.

So, to repeat my unasked for advice — get these books, read them and then start on your own creative adventure. You can overcome resistance and create something new, something unique and something great!

The War of Art is also available from Amazon and your local public library. Add it to your creative toolbox today!

* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs ** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!

]]>Little Boxes – and they all look just the same from the Career Opportunities Podcast [Audio]http://welchwrite.com/career/2017/11/13/little-boxes-and-they-all-look-just-the-same-from-the-career-opportunities-podcast-audio/
Mon, 13 Nov 2017 20:06:34 +0000http://welchwrite.com/career/?p=4990

When you are writing your resume or interviewing for a job, do you fall into a common trap? Despite all your unique insight and experience, do you end up looking and sounding like everyone else? Do you we end up looking like the “little boxes on the hillside, little boxes all the same?” For decades we have been taught to sit down, shut up, and act like everyone else. We have been taught to wear the same clothes, watch the same television shows, read the same books and have the same opinions. Even a cursory look at the world today will show you that this is no longer true. The world is an amazingly diverse place. Yet, when we go job hunting, we revert to methods from the 1950’s and beyond. We endeavour to be the “company man” who keeps his head down and makes it through our career relatively unscathed.

]]>Little Boxes – and they all look just the same from the Career Opportunities Podcast Listen to this podcast When you are writing your resume or interviewing for a job, do you fall into a common trap? Despite all your unique insight and experience,Little Boxes – and they all look just the same from the Career Opportunities PodcastListen to this podcast

When you are writing your resume or interviewing for a job, do you fall into a common trap? Despite all your unique insight and experience, do you end up looking and sounding like everyone else? Do you we end up looking like the “little boxes on the hillside, little boxes all the same?” For decades we have been taught to sit down, shut up, and act like everyone else. We have been taught to wear the same clothes, watch the same television shows, read the same books and have the same opinions. Even a cursory look at the world today will show you that this is no longer true. The world is an amazingly diverse place. Yet, when we go job hunting, we revert to methods from the 1950’s and beyond. We endeavour to be the “company man” who keeps his head down and makes it through our career relatively unscathed. Read this entire article – Little Boxes – and they all look just the same from the Career Opportunities Podcast

Build the Career You Deserve with these books
* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! ]]>Douglas E. WelchPursuing your work as art, but also making money from the Career Opportunities Podcasthttp://welchwrite.com/career/2017/11/06/pursuing-your-work-as-art-but-also-making-money-from-the-career-opportunities-podcast/
Mon, 06 Nov 2017 18:23:23 +0000http://welchwrite.com/career/?p=4988

I just finished reading Seth Godin’s latest books, Linchpin, and there is much to recommend there. He clearly describes and analyzes the dramatic shifts in the work world where being “good enough” simply isn’t enough anymore, especially when such work can easily be outsourced to thousands of others all over the world. If you want to have a successful career, you need to treat your work as art, and yourself as an artist, regardless of what you do.

While the book rings true to my own experience in almost every way, it also fails to address one of the deepest burning issues I live with every day — how to make money pursuing your art. There are the typical assurances that doing your best work will attract money, which I believe, but it doesn’t address the day-to-day realities of putting cash into our pockets so we can buy groceries and pay the rent. I can’t fault Godin with being unable to answer this question. It is indeed one of those problems that seems to defy solution. That said, reading the book got me thinking (which I believe is the clearest sign of a good book) and I have developed a few ideas of my own.

]]>Pursuing your work as art, but also making money from the Career Opportunities Podcast Listen to this podcast I just finished reading Seth Godin’s latest books, Linchpin, and there is much to recommend there.Pursuing your work as art, but also making money from the Career Opportunities PodcastListen to this podcast

I just finished reading Seth Godin’s latest books, Linchpin, and there is much to recommend there. He clearly describes and analyzes the dramatic shifts in the work world where being “good enough” simply isn’t enough anymore, especially when such work can easily be outsourced to thousands of others all over the world. If you want to have a successful career, you need to treat your work as art, and yourself as an artist, regardless of what you do.
While the book rings true to my own experience in almost every way, it also fails to address one of the deepest burning issues I live with every day — how to make money pursuing your art. There are the typical assurances that doing your best work will attract money, which I believe, but it doesn’t address the day-to-day realities of putting cash into our pockets so we can buy groceries and pay the rent. I can’t fault Godin with being unable to answer this question. It is indeed one of those problems that seems to defy solution. That said, reading the book got me thinking (which I believe is the clearest sign of a good book) and I have developed a few ideas of my own.